Most Tauranga CVs coming up short

A large percentage of applicants' CVs show they are not qualified for positions, says 1st Call Recruitment managing director Phil van Syp. Photo / Andrew Warner

Up to 70 per cent of people applying for jobs in Tauranga are not qualified for the positions they are applying for, business owners say.

But local recruitment agencies say candidates should not give up because if they miss out on the advertised job it can still lead to other opportunities.

Page Macrae Engineering general manager Mike Lehan said at least 70 per cent of its applicants were not qualified for the position advertised.

The company also received applications from overseas and many did not have a grasp of the English language.

"A lot of time is taken reviewing and responding to these unqualified applicants," he said.

It received 30 to 40 CVs for every job advertised on average and while most were put together well some stood out for all the wrong reasons, he said.

"The worst ones list absolutely everything. We've had some over 15 pages long while others only provide one page."

Personnel Resources Temp Resources' Ian Chitty said often the email sending the CV could limit chances of securing a job. "Words such as crazy@gmail.com is not really helping."

The company placed 160 advertisements a month and received about 500 CVs. Forty per cent of applicants were not qualified for the position.

1st Call Recruitment managing director Phil van Syp said about 70 per cent of its applicants were not qualified for the positions but often they were matched to more suitable jobs through its data system.

He said some roles were easy to whittle down.

"You are either a vet or not ... but if you are talking diesel mechanics or digger operators you will have a lot apply that don't have those skills.

"And everybody thinks they are a builder but they won't have the qualifications to match."

Job seekers who had difficulty putting a CV together should pay someone to do it, he said. "The worst CVs include terrible photos ... Others jump about, one minute they are an engineer and the next minute they are something else and it's hard to understand how this person is trying to develop a career."

Right Click Employment Solutions Tauranga owner Paula Baker said half of its applicants were not qualified. An administration or junior role could attract up to 150 applicants.

Dos and don'ts when you're looking for a job

Employers tend not to favour job applicants who are "over cocky, too shy or couldn't look them in the eye", industry leaders say.

1st Call Recruitment managing director Phil van Syp said there was nothing worse than a prospective employee who looked at the floor during a job interview.

"You can't get a feel if they are telling you the truth or not. There are telltale signs that give an experienced interviewer a lot of information."

Page Macrae Engineering general manager Mike Lehan said the firm tended to steer clear of applicants who were overconfident or who were ill- prepared.

"We would expect someone coming for an interview to have taken the time to research our company. There's no point applying for an interview when you know nothing about the company you hope to work for."

Job seekers also helped their chances if they dressed well for an interview."At the very least they should have tidy attire," Mr Lehan said.

Right Click Employment Tauranga Solutions Tauranga owner Paula Baker agrees, adding that applicants should never be late for an interview, and should have a good handshake.